Should The Home Secretary Ban All Such Demonstrations?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/390969/Battle-to-stop-the-sick-Margaret-Thatcher-hate-mob

Why are the Met not concerned enough to request the Home Secretary to ban all anti-Thatcher activity in London, as they were in their successful ban on EDL marches?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/26/edl-march-london-banned

[emmie]

whilst i would like to see all demonstrations banned, it is a democratic right, except perhaps if it looks as there are grounds for inciting racial hatred. I don't agree with the EDl, BNP, nor do i agree with the MT haters, seems so pointless.

[FredPuli43]

On balance, no. As said in the Guardian link, it's always a balancing exercise, weighing the risk of violent and legal disorder against the right to protest.

[FredPuli43]

Oops ! Read "illegal" for "legal" , though the submitted text conjures up an interesting legal concept.

[youngmafbog]

In principle no they should not ban it. These people have a right to have their say.

However, the people at the funeral also have a right to respectfully bury the dead. If any demonstration is deliberate setting out to disrupt it or is promoting violence in any way (twitter/Facebook etc) then yes, as with any demo it should be banned.

[emmie]

you won't be able to stop protesters and if it turns out to be a riot, then you won't stop that either, twitter, mobiles, internet all seem to play their part in gatherings of this sort.

[bednobs]

i think em has it - i think edl might be banned under "inciting racial hatred" whereas you can't really say that about MT demos

[LazyGun]

^^ What ymb said, with respect to the funeral. If protesters want to hold a peaceful protest at any other time, then they should be allowed to, subject to the usual requirements regarding illegal behaviour/ violence etc...

Some people seem to be awfully quick to call for repressive action to trample over civil rights on the grounds of what they consider to be distasteful....

[emmie]

bednobs, i could say that about some protesters who may be there on the day of the funeral, placards that we have seen already show that there is a deal of hatred for her, however i can't see how you can ban them. Inciting hatred has already happened, on twitter, by media, internet, it's all there for anyone to see. It seems puerile to me, but nothing new about that either.

[sp1814]

AOG

I don't think that any organised protest should be tolerated on the day of the funeral within the context of the funeral itself - ie. not along the route or outside St Paul's.

However, I don't think it would be right for the State to ban a protest march, or celebrations or whatever on Saturday, which I believe the Twitterati are planning.

That same with the EDL, AFL or BNP...they should be allowed to march, but if there is a likely chance of civil disobedience, then the police need to take appropriate actions.

[bednobs]

i don't think "inciting hatred" is an offence though emmie whereas "inciting racila hatred" is

[emmie]

lazyg, i believe that as much as i dislike the views of EDL, BNP, they have a voice and it should be heard, if you ban them for expressing those views, however distasteful one finds it, is that any different for some calling on the banning of MT protesters, many are as bad, full of hate.

[emmie]

saw on the news a week or so ago they have or are going to bring in a new law on hate crimes, i think it was to do with some members of our society who get picked on, bullied, sometimes hurt, just because they look a bit different, like goths. I will have to look up the piece and see who else is included and whether that law has come into effect.

[jake-the-peg]

Yep general concensus here I think

You may not like this but inciting hate against someone based on their particular actions is a very different thing from inciting hatred towards people because of their race or nationality.

People chose to enter politics and become Prime Minister they don't choose the colour of their skin or where they're born

Such protests need to be kept away from the fulneral but for the Express to cite 'just days before the fulneral' is a bit ridiculous

[anotheoldgit]

bednobs

/// i think em has it - i think edl might be banned under "inciting racial hatred" whereas you can't really say that about MT demos ///

I think those MT demonstrations, could be banned for "inciting civil unrest", who knows what they could develop into, especially as this anarchy will be given a world stage.

Much, much more serious than a selected few being offended, because a certain group takes part in a peaceful march.

[chrisgel]

Em10
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/first-arrest-under-new-hate-2583497

[emmie]

if it does descend into the level of violence we have seen before, let us hope that the ring leaders are rounded up, because i think that the ordinary folk who want to protest do so peaceably, it's a core band of anarchists who lead them on to destroy property, smash up shops and cause the city to come to a standstill.

[emmie]

chrisgel, that's the one, i didn't get to hear more on this, but i did think this was a good thing.

[tamborine]

Anarchists of The class war - ironic name. MT was working class, from smokey north where she raised herself to be PM & global force.

Who are the idle anarchists; young pseudo-graduates seeking more jollies at tax payers expense coz they aint got the brains to use the time earning their crust.

[anotheoldgit]

/// People chose to enter politics and become Prime Minister they don't choose the colour of their skin or where they're born ///

So just because a person chooses to take up a certain position in life means that they must be prepared to accept what sh*t is thrown at them, but those of a different skin colour or where they're where born, are fortunate enough to be granted the privileged position of full protection?

[sir.prize]

Why can't they bury the woman in bl00dy Grantham. Would save a lot of bother - and money.